Should have known better
by Eitan
Summary: Spoilers "Thor-The Dark World" : Loki, Thor and Jane are on their way to Svartalfheim. Picks up after the dialogue between Loki and Thor about Frigga and trust. "Sometimes the people closest to us are the ones we should fear the most, Miss Foster."


**Major Spoilers "Thor-The Dark World"**

**A/N:**

_Dearies,_

_I really was excited about the new Thor movie ever since I had seen the trailer. That's why I moved heaven and hell to watch it right the day of its release date (31 October in Germany). Maybe I should watch it again. Maybe I shouldn't have watched it with all the Lokane feelings in my subconscious. Fact is: I didn't really liked it. The action was good and the shots of Asgard breath-taking beautiful but the whole movie felt rushed (Hell even Loki's "death scene" was). The scenes didn't really go well with each other and the jokes weren't THAT funny (maybe I just lost my humor somewhere between Avengers and Thor 2). I also thought the journey to Svartalfheim would ... well ... take longer. I expected Thor, Jane and Loki to have more screentime together. Tom's acting was again nothing but fantastic which is why I think, I only didn't like the movie because of how the storyline turned out._

_In terms of Lokane: I grinned like an complete idiot when Jane slapped Loki and Thor moves around them and you can still catch a glimpse of them starring at each other. Or the fact that he protected her ... at the end I really wondered whether he knew Thor would gave up the throne for Jane, and if this was what motivated him to save her in the first place ... It's save to say that Thor was loki'd._

_Nonetheless I was disappointed that Loki and Jane had not a single dialogue/scene alone together. That's why I wrote this one-shot : Takes place in the scene when our glorious trio is on the way to Svartalfheim and Loki and Thor have a little chat about Frigga and trust. _

_I could do it—why couldn't Marvel? _

* * *

_The head, the heart—_

_who cares?_

_This time there's blood to spill_

_If you don't then I will _

* * *

„Trust my wrath."

They thought she was asleep, far away in a place where there was no evil, no pain, no darkness—she could hear them nonetheless. There was no magical dreamland for her to hide, no Neverland, no Middle Earth, no Hogwarts, no goddamned nothing!They knew. Jane knew. The key to draw every world of the nine realms into darkness was in her, waiting but not sleeping, patient but not careless.

To say she felt _'okay_' was an exaggeration. She couldn't recall the last time she truly felt something close to _'okay'_. Maybe before Thor showed up? Possible but not likely. She was honest with herself, though. Since Thor's departure she had asked herself day after day the same three questions: Has her life become better after she hit the God of Thunder with her trailer or worse? Would she be in lesser pain if she never met him in the first place? What was she willing to do to change it?

Jane felt miserable thinking like that. It was so self-centered, so calculating. Not once in her life, not even a tiny little bit she had regarded herself a cold-hearted bitch. The more she analyzed her and Thor's situation the more she not only felt like one but also seemed to act like one. On the other hand: If she didn't look out for herself then no one else would. Look out for yourself and you never get hurt, right? Playing the lonesome she-wolf worked pretty damn fine for a couple of years. She wasn't used that someone but her first. Yet, here they were on a semi-suicidal mission trying desperately to take the _Aether_ out of her without getting her killed in the process. Nevertheless it was not only her life that was at stake—the whole universe was on the verge of destruction! It was their task to save it and to sent the Dark Elves back to the forsaken, snake-poisoned hole they came from. Yeah … no pressure or anything.

All three of them—fools they were—dared to have hope. They dared to hope everything would just go according to plan. The problem was: There was no such thing as a_ 'plan'_. For crying out loud! Everything was threatened to go to hell, yet Loki and Thor didn't talk about strategies, mystic ghost-armies or any other magical surprise weapon that could save the day. Nope. Go ahead, separate siblings for a few months and what comes out?

They stood behind her, side by side. They did what brothers always do.

"You should say goodbye to her."

Loki.

He had the voice of a liar, a trickster. People pretending to be someone else were particularly dangerous. Still there was so much more to it—after all you can't be a liar if someone didn't lie to you first. A good liar is someone who knows the person in front of him better than the person knows himself. A good liar is someone who understands people. This was what scared her the most about the God of Mischief: His ability to read and manipulate people. The problem with this fact was, although it made him more dangerous than anything else, it also made him human.

Jane _so_ didn't want to go there.

Monster-Loki was endurable, human-Loki was so not! Besides the small details portraying him as a god who would still have to die someday like any other living thing—which strictly speaking is not her definition of a god—it would be a huge mistake to ascribe Loki too many human character traits. If she thought of him as an evil, foul excuse of an human being than she already accepted a bitter truth: Without light there could be no darkness to begin with.

"Our journey hasn't come to an end yet," Thor replied just as smoothly.

"Now or tomorrow or in ten years time—what does it matter? You should have known better. You're going to lose her either way. Better get used to the thought."

Jane felt eyes on her. Two pairs. One as blue and radiant as a clear sky on a hot summer day. The other green like young grass in the first light of spring, covered up by a nameless, deep sorrow and a soul that had done, endured and seen too many things to ever heal again. It had touched her when she had laid eyes on the almost-destructor of New York for the first time—although not strong enough to stop her from slapping him across the face. Hell, it had been long overdue that someone simply rushed up to him and showed him for what kind of shit he was responsible for.

He deserved it. She would do it again. Any time.

Thor didn't respond. Seconds of total silence passed by. There was no sound around them. This was beyond silence, a stillness beyond the concept of silence. Svartalfheim had taken a deep breath never to be released again. The hour of secrets, of unspoken promises—never told, yet broken.

"You can't have both."

It was no echo. Jane was glad it wasn't. The impact was the same, and the eerie feeling was close enough but an echo didn't hurt unless it reflected the truth. Instead the silence picked Loki's words up and took them away like fallen leaves.

She heard Thor's quiet laughter, drained in amusement. When he answered, he sounded much like the Thor as she had met him back in New Mexico: proud, strong-minded, easy-going, adventurous, carefree. It was the first sentence—as far as Jane could tell—he had addressed Loki with without wrapping his words in an edge as sharp as a knife.

"Are you starting now to give me advice in matters of love?"

At once her breath turned quicker and deeper—the most treacherous sign of all.

_Brother. _

It was as obvious to her ears as sure as hell it was to Loki's. Thor left it out but it was still there—it would always be. As an only child Jane had difficulties to comprehend how strong the bond between brothers really was. How much could it take before even the last, loyal strand gave in? Siblings were friends by birth, a friendship given by nature that wasn't meant to be questioned._ Ever_. If everything else around you was falling apart, you should still be able to rely on your brother. He's the one you would call to get rid of a body. He's the one supposed to stay by your side until your or his life ends.

Loki and Thor have been by each other's side for centuries. After such a long time it's safe to say that they don't _know_ each other—they _read _each other. They are able to look right into the other without trouble. Thor had tried his best to explain to her why Loki meant the world for him—even after his despicable, brutal, cold-hearted, ruthless, earth domination attempt. It wasn't just that Loki was with him—he was a part of him. He wasn't living life beside him—Loki was living life with him. For Thor it had always been Loki. No one else. Thor had on no account cared much about whether the All-Father was proud of him or whether he had proven himself worthy to be called a son of Odin's.

_As long as I was worthy in the eyes of my brother, everything else could have crumpled to dust for all I cared. I wished he would have thought the same way._

Maybe Loki did.

Maybe he does.

Thor would never give up on his brother. No matter what Loki did, how many lives he erased, how much pain he caused or how many worlds he would destroy. This had been clear to Jane the moment Thor at talked to her about the uneasy Loki-topic for the first time back a few days ago. He loved his brother—this was everything that mattered at the end of the day. But did he still trust him?

_If anything happened to him, I would have died. How could I have faced centuries to come alone? That's what I thought._

_And how are you thinking about it now?_

_He's still my brother._

Jane's stomach twitched. Siblings … born to hate and love each other with equal measure. Yippie ya yeah.

Loki snickered. "Now, that would be pointless, wouldn't it? For when have you ever listened to me?"

"I always took you for granted," Thor admitted, his voice soft, almost warm.

It sent shivers down her spine. Jane prayed neither Thor nor Loki noticed—the last thing she needed right now was being caught eavesdropping. She probably couldn't even come up with a proper, intelligent excuse. Jane had enough on her plate that is.

"That's what older brothers do."

Now she regretted having turned her back in their direction. Damn. She really would have liked to catch a glimpse of it—the wolfish grin that must have sneaked on Loki's lips. It was easy to detect in his voice.

"You always lacked fortune when it came to women," Loki went on. "What makes her the constant?"

Urgh.

Should she have seen _that _one coming? Most definitely—you know, talk between brothers and all. Does this make her feel any less uncomfortable?

An image flashed through her head. Beautiful, dark-brown eyes full of strength and fire and directly pointed at … her. _Sif_—the Goddess of war. If looks could kill, Jane might not have been dead but she would have found herself twisting and screaming in pain on the palace floor. There was no way around it: Sif was—would have been an ideal match for the future king of Asgard. According to Thor one of the most talented warriors in all nine realms, a true fighter who saved his life countless times, someone he trusted and someone who would never betray him.

Jane had to admit it—no matter how ridiculously jealous it made her feel: Sif was what Asgard needed. Everything about her, starting from her posture to her appearance, screamed future queen. She could protect Thor and Asgard as expected. Jane was not an idiot—at least the last time she checked she was not.

She didn't need to be an expert in Norse mythology to see that Odin considered her nothing more than a little pastime, a woman to warm Thor's bed as long as it pleased him. Not that she had expected the All-Father to think about her as possible marriage material for his eldest son, but she had this warm-hearted, smiling grandfather-stereotype version of him in her head and not that grumpy old man who looked down on her just because she was human. Reality once again had done its best to destroy her life. Loki's words stung even though they weren't directed at her.

"She did what you never could."

The air suddenly was electrified—like a thunderstorm that yet had to start raging but was already busy spreading its pitch black wings faster and faster across the horizon.

"She changed you." It was a statement, yet it felt like a curse. "She made you the better person, the better ruler … the better son." Loki laughed. It was the saddest, bone-chilling laugh Jane has ever heard, full of bitterness and hurt.

Her pulse quickened. Footsteps. A single pair. They sounded loud and quiet, harsh and funny blurred, as if they came from a poorly tuned radio. Someone was approaching her, swift but not intimidating. His body heat was like glimmering ray of sunlight—pleasantly strong and so warm—she wanted to wrap it like a blanket around her and lose herself in it. But he stopped. Close enough. Watching but not touching.

"Jane," Thor called her tenderly, just above a whisper.

Jane pressed her eyelids tighter together—surely this would help. After all she only rested and turned her back on the not quite so happy brother reunion to give them the space they need to work certain things out … like a plan for the start … or that awkward trust issue.

Unlike Loki, Thor was a very bad liar. He claimed, he wished he could trust Loki. Why voice doubt in such an open manner? Why the hell not simply say _'I don't trust you'_ and be done with it? Geez, it sounded more like '_I wish I could trust you like I did in the past'_. Jane suspected she was not the only one who saw the truth behind these lines. Thor so desperately tried to convince the God of Mischief because the truth was, he never stopped trusting him. He might not realize it but it was as clear as stars above Asgard. And Loki _knew_. Far worse than that: He was also smart enough not to mention it.

Maybe she should. She could blow it all. Loki would betray them—on way or another. Thor's trust was Loki's way out because now Loki knew exactly would Thor expected him to do. Thor—the walking open book. Oh, Loki really was a bastard—a clever bastard but a bastard nonetheless. And he was an idiot. He spent his whole life trying to prove he was worth something in Odin's eyes while totally missing out the fact that he was worth _everything_ in Thor's. Nothing, absolutely nothing, Loki had said and done until now convinced her to step in the buddy-trust-area with him. By the looks of it this feeling was mutual—he mistrusted her just as much. Jane couldn't tell whether it was because she was human or because of the _Aether_. Probably both. Concerning the worst case it was always both.

It was a game of trust and distrust, of fascination and disdain. The winner would be the one who was two steps ahead. She had to figure out his plans before she made her move. She couldn't take the risk to be wrong about him. Was it really revenge he was after? If not—what motivation could he have to stab Thor in the back? Perhaps it was easier than she thought. All she had to find out was how much Loki had loved Frigga, how much pain her death had caused him. If his outburst a few minutes earlier was any indication then he not only truly loved his mother—he had lost a part of himself. Forever. No one could replace it. It was gone. His anger at Thor for not being able to protect Frigga, could be reason enough to betray him … just as well as the promise of revenge could be not to.

Gnaaah, for heaven's sake! Figuring out Loki's plans was as frustrating as the man himself.

"How much longer are you going to pretend to be asleep?"

Her eyes shot open. Damn it. Bit by bit Jane turned around facing the inevitable.

Thor smirked down at her with all he was worth. Guess being caught could also get a lot more uglier than that. He seemed as radiant as ever except for the shadows reflecting in his eyes. It struck Jane that he looked exhausted … like someone who's been on the run for so long, he didn't remember why he left in the first place. He just kept going because there was nothing else he could do.

Abandoned was her incredibly intelligent, plausible explanation. When she opened her lips something completely off the line burst out before reason could stop her: "You look awful." Her hand covered her mouth. "I mean … it's just … I didn't mean to …"

She was lost. Well done, Jane.

Thor looked as if he didn't know whether to smile or not. The corners of his mouth twitched.

Jane took a deep breath. She caught a glimpse at Loki sitting on the floor, head betted in his hands, eyes closed, just … being distressed, alone, absent minded.

"You can admit it," Jane mumbled eventually, eyes still watchful on the God of Mischief. He might look harmless at the moment but he was a wounded predator, ready to launch an attack on anyone who dared to come too close—most of the time you don't realize you overstepped until you find yourself on the other side of the line.

"Admit what?"

It was exactly this sentence in combination with crouching down on eye level with her that made Jane's heart skip. She followed its lead. A compassionate smile conquered her lips. She looked at him like this for as long as it was necessary. Thor let her.

"When the alarm in the dungeons went off your first thought rushed to Lo—"

"I feared he might have escaped."

Jane shook her head. "No, you didn't."

Thor narrowed his eyes.

She was on dangerous territory. She couldn't be sure whether the soil underneath her feet would swallow her or not. "You feared something might have happened to him, something not even you could've saved him from." Jane struggled to prevent her voice from trembling. This was not the time to be self-conscious. "It's okay to care."

Thor froze on the spot. Utterly taken aback his eyes searched hers. The expression in his eyes was clear and open and oddly vulnerable. Jane swallowed. It seemed as if he was chasing after a thought he couldn't bring down.

"He hurts. You know that," Jane continued, almost whispering. "He hurts so much that he can't keep it to himself any longer. It's impossible to suffer without making someone pay for it."

"If I admitted that you're right than we both would be mistaken."

Jane blinked. She almost hadn't caught his reply because although his lips had moved, hardly a sound had been able to get away. "It's always easier to forgive an enemy than to forgive a friend," she offered.

A sad smile crossed Thor's face. He took a quick look back over his shoulder. Loki's head now rested against the ships' rail. Eyes closed as if her were dreaming.

"Don't get fooled, Jane," he warned, nothing on his face left except regret, "It's enough that one of us is."

So Thor knew. He knew or he counted on Loki planning to use his devotion towards him to betray him. Nonetheless he would play along.

"I'm not sure what you hope to gain but don't worry," she answered with an encouraging smile that knew to reach her eyes. "He has hurt so many people I care about. I'm not ready to forgive him—not yet. Not like you or Frigga."

Suddenly Thor moved closer. Their noses inches apart from touching. His caring look brushed over her form so full of love as if it were their last night together in life. An optimistic smirk formed on his lips, still his eyes hold so much more. Jane hold her breath. An endless happiness was starting to fight its way up to the surface.

"He won't hurt you," he assured, the gentleness and softness in his voice made her shiver. Excitement turned her stomach upside down.

"How can you know?" Jane breathed against his lips. "It's crystal clear that he wants to use your love for him against you—so why not also using me? Killing me would be the easiest way to get back at you."

There were a lot of things Thor could've done or said now. There were also a lot of things Jane would have expected him to do or say. None of them made an appearance. Instead they cleared the stage for the most out of place chuckle of all out of place chuckles she has ever witnessed. It was so surreal—Jane asked herself a split second if she might have drifted off to sleep, and this was nothing more than a very desperate attempt of her subconscious to practice black humor.

Apparently she had been way too long in Britain.

"He seems to have taken a liking in you …" Thor's lips presented an unbeatable smile. A higher form of amusement danced on the waves in his eyes. She was so overrun by his chuckle that she didn't take his words for what they were.

_I like her._

Jane's brows shot north. "Me? Don't be ridiculous."

"I'm not. You forget I've known him all my life. And in all these centuries he has ever looked twice at someone the way he had looked at you when you two met."

Was this supposed to sort of … calm her? It didn't. Not. At. All. Not even sort of. On the contrary: Jane recalled _that _look Thor was referring to all too well, and it unsettled her even more.

Her fingers had clutched at her upper arms—way too firm to go unnoticed. Loki's unnerving smile had grown wider. His green eyes had pinned her with open curiosity. Only one arm's length had separated them. Unyielding her eyes had challenged his own. He had smirked sweetly in reply.

"Well, " Jane answered while shaking off the memory, "even if that's true it still doesn't mean that he won't break my neck the second he gets the chance. I'm human. I'm underneath him." She was close to let the hiss go backing against her throat. "The only thing he wants me to do is kneel before him—an attitude he and your father seem to have in common."

She thought about the way Odin had regarded her, how he had spoken to her and above all the expression his features had hold while doing so, a mixture between disinterest, superiority and animosity. Loki might not be his biological son but Jane now at least knew where his low thinking of humans came from.

A faint growl escaped Thor. "You're not underneath him." He looked as if he were ready to smash a whole planet if someone was so reckless to even whisper such a foolishness in his presence. It was balsam to her troubled mind although it couldn't chase the truth.

_We're from different worlds. Maybe they're separated for a reason._

"He can live up to a thousand years, he can use—let's call it _magic_, he's a warrior, he can travel between realms, and he's intelligent enough to outsmart Tony Stark—did I forget anything?" She laughed unsurely, loosened her arms and played with her fingers. Thor followed the movement with his eyes for a second.

"Jane," he said caringly, and she was sure he would reach for her. She waited for his warm fingers to brush over her cheek or for his hands to cup her face but nothing happened. Frustration flooded her veins like venom.

"One could think you've taken a liking in him too," Thor went on and if she didn't catch the quick sparkle lightening up in his eyes, she would've thought he meant it dead serious. "Would you rather be his queen than mine?"

Jane doubted he could have shocked her more if he had grown a second head. She stared at him, mouth wide open, mind racing. He said it. And he meant it. It hit her.

"You're mocking me," she replied, only a whiff away to sound amused.

"I wouldn't dare."

She narrowed her eyes at him. "No, you dare me to demand from you to choose between me and your home—your family. Because let's be honest: I'm not the queen Asgard deserves and I will never be—Asgardian ascendance law put aside. I can't stay here with you but I am also not that selfish."

This was the moment where she was sure he would start yelling at her or where he would say goodbye—again he did none of these things. No. Instead the warm-hearted smile on his face seemed to have become bigger and bigger the more words had passed her lips. It was obvious that she said something incredibly stupid.

"You think the throne is more important to me than you?" he observed gently, and the understanding in his voice not only confirmed her suspicion but also tried its best to kill her.

She almost stumbled over her next words: "You have a responsibility no one can take from you. You have to protect Asgard. There's just nobody else."

"I will protect not only Asgard but all nine realms, " he promised, never breaking eye-contact with her. "But I can't do that while sitting on a throne."

She didn't dare to hope. She didn't dare to claim what he offered her. She couldn't handle it—not a second time. Jane evaded his stare, looking everywhere else except him. "Don't play with me." It was a whisper.

"Why would you think that?" He sounded irritated by her irritation. It was not the reaction he wanted her to have. "Have I ever lied to you?"

That made her smile—a true, radiant smile. "No. Maybe that's why you're the most unnerving person in the world for me."

He didn't take it as an offence neither Jane had wanted him to. His eyebrows shot together while he thought about her words for a moment. "How foolish, " he commented finally, "As if you knew all world."

She couldn't hold it—Jane burst out laughing, causing Thor to look successfully puzzled. Even Loki opened his eyes and risked a glance in their direction.

"So … you're staying with me … on earth?" she clarified after calming down and whipping the tears off the corner of her eyes.

Thor smirked. "Wasn't that clear enough?"

She couldn't help but roll her eyes at him. "Not really, no. Obviously Asgardians have a different view on what made their point clear than humans."

"I will save you, Jane. We are in this together and we will make it out together. And the reason why I know that Loki won't harm you is, because that's exactly what he thinks I would expect him to do. He thinks, that I'm sure he's going to betray me. Which is why he's not going to do it."

Immediately her eyes shot back to his face. It dawned her. "Is that why you keep telling him, you wished you could trust him?"

The almost invisible wrinkles in the corners of his mouth laughed at her with all they were worth, a sparkle glomming in his eyes. On the outside it didn't seem any different from any of the other sparkles before, but in its depth Jane could detach a trace of something. It was nothing. Hardly anything. But it was a beautiful something. Thor could have asked her if she was attracted to him, if she was obsessed with him, whether she _loved _him, and it was _'yes'_ to everything. It was all the same.

In this moment Thor gave her the most stunning wink she has ever fallen prey for. "I'm only responsible for what I'm saying—not for what you understand."

Jane giggled. This was such an un-Thor-like sentence, it was hilarious. "Who taught you that one?"

"Loki. His favorite excuse to cover up his lies."

Jane bit her lip. "You know, on earth people say those who are heartless once cared too much—" She stopped when she realized what she was about to say … well, more like she stopped to reconsider if she really wanted it to say. Human-Loki, remember?

She couldn't allow him to get to her.

"Don't hold back, Jane." Not a single motion betrayed what Thor was thinking although he searched her with piercing eyes.

Jane took a deep breath. "There's good in him, Thor, whether you and I want to accept it or not."

"Jane—"

"He's here because you promised him revenge, right?" she continued without letting go of her thought. "It proves what I've said before: That he's hurt. You can only be hurt if you love. And Everyone capable of love can be saved. So maybe I'm not the only life you can save—"

Her words died on the way from her brain to her mouth. Thor had moved. Not anywhere. He had leaned forward again shielding her with his entire body, his delicious warmth instantly on her forcing her heart to pick up an irregular rhythm. He studied her in detail and took in every little movement, every twitch of her mouth. Jane drew a sharp breath and froze.

_It_ should have been there. That smell of wild, sun kissed stones and dried grass broadcasting pictures of savannahs and endlessness in her head.

Instead she was greeted with a scent she never came across before. It was so intense that her heartbeat gave out a few seconds. He smelled of blooms and herbs after sunset, of cold lawn and wet earth, mixed with an undeniable trace of masculinity sending out a dangerous signal. It was not the fear of a victim faced with its hunter that made her blood a boiling mess. It was the fear of a female who felt the moment had come when her mate would claim her. This message was not rooted only in his scent, it was also reflected in the aura surrounding him. Did Asgardians change their scent when they were … well … aroused?

It wasn't her intention but when Jane opened her mouth to voice her theory, Thor closed the gap between them. Her lips ghostly brushed against the delicate skin of his neck. He tensed, the promising spark as obvious to him as it was to her.

"Trust me," Thor breathed then into her ear while listening to the song of her heart.

Finally something happened. Very carefully, as if she could break under his touch, Thor pressed his lips against her forehead. Jane shuddered. Whether it was, because of the vibrato in his voice or the intimate gesture she couldn't tell. Blissfully she closed her eyes enjoying the feeling of him being so close to her. A hand tenderly slung around her shoulder drawing her even closer. Jane responded automatically. Moving into a half-kneeling position she buried her nose into his neck. He went on placing a protective kiss against her temple. She raised her arms and returned the loving embrace. It was then when she noticed it. Her hands were welcomed by a lean figure, trained though, but not as well built as it should be. Confused her fingers clenched in Thor's back for some kind of explanation or confirmation.

"Sometimes the people closest to us are the ones we should fear the most, Miss Foster."

His voice sent an icy shudder down her overheated body. Jane's eyes shot open. The next second she backed so hasty away from him that she crashed against the ship's rail. She didn't stagger but also failed to get some space between them—she was trapped.

"_You_!" she growled furiously.

"Me." Loki smirked down at her. He looked like a school boy pleased with his prank but also like a predator who had his victim exactly where he wanted it to.

Her muscles tensed. "You! Your handcuffs … how…?! How … how dare you?!" Her voice was oddly high bitched and hysterical.

Loki observed her horror with a charming smile, presenting his dimples in all their glory. "I hate to upset you, dear Jane, but I think we would make quite the team," he mumbled grinning, his finger playing light-hearted with the ends of her brown hair. He rolled the strands between his fingertips, seeming totally fascinated by the soft feeling and texture. He was so close. Her chest rose and shrank rapidly.

"Do you want me to punch you again?" she asked coldly.

His fingers paused. It seemed as if he was really thinking about this offer. His captivating, time coined eyes searched her almost kindly. Then he chuckled. "Now, that was cheeky, Miss Foster."

Jane only avoided his stare to confront him with a dark glare a few seconds later.

"That's enough, Loki."

Relief washed over her. Thor. Her Thor. For real this time. Jane could only see half of his face because Loki was still blocking her view on anything and anyone else except him. What made the whole goddamned situation even worse: He gave her _that _look again. And the addicting scent of nightfall still playfully danced around her nose.

"I meant what I said, " the God of Mischief remarked softly, only loud enough for her ears to hear.

Skeptically she raised a brow at him.

"You _can_ trust me."

That was the one. That one broke the dam.

"Go to hell," Jane snapped heatedly and placed a hand on his chest.

His elegant green eyes narrowed slightly as if stunned. Then he realized what she tried to do but failed gloriously. Loki rewarded her with an innocent smile. "As you wish."

He stepped aside letting her shoving him a little in the process.

Jane groaned irritated under her breath. Someone better had a damn good explanation for what happened just now. Her eyes spotted Thor standing barely five steps away. Her feet already moved when she recognized the item in his hands. She froze. This had to be another trick.

"_You_ freed him? Are you kidding me?!" Jane could feel how her control and coolness were walking past her, hand in hand and waving goodbye.

Thor's eyes roamed thoughtfully over her face. His voice was strong and confident as ever: "Deepest apologies, Jane. This wasn't meant to compromise you."

"Seriously? It was your idea—"

"It was not your trust I tested," Thor explained quickly, glancing at Loki. "It was his."

Jane blinked. "You … _what_ …?" She was at a loss of words.

"I freed him and the moment I did, he casted this illusion."

Jane opened her mouth, decided against it and closed her lips again. Sometimes words could cut deeper than a knife. Sometimes they were more beautiful than the most stunning sunset. And sometimes actions were the better solution. In one blink Jane was still standing in the middle between Loki and Thor, and the next she was right in front of the latter. Her slap echoed from the lost dunes of Svartalfheim. She could hear a mocking, almost sympathetic _Ouh _from Loki.

"That was for lying to me."

"And for that I'm truly— "

_Smack._

"And that for using me."

Thor took a deep breath.

"As much as I am enjoying your adorable little love quarrel, "Loki interrupted sweetly, "But you two should have a look at this."

Both Jane and Thor raised their heads in union. Not far away in the distance a big, black something disturbed the scenery between horizon and the bleak landscape.

"Is that …?" Jane breathed, fear audible in her voice. She joined Loki to get a better view.

"Yes, that's it," answered the God of Mischief.

"It's time ," nodded Thor in agreement, tension written all over his face. He took the place next to Jane. "Let's make a child."

"WHAT?!" Jane shrieked.

Bewildered by her reaction Thor first searched her expression and then Loki's. "Apologies, Jane. Is this not what you say on earth before you launch yourself into battle?"

He looked so clueless that Jane couldn't help but giggle.

Loki rolled his eyes as if he didn't expect anything less from his brother.

* * *

**A/N:**

_Dat Thor^^ You gotta love him. Now guys that you know what you know, go back and re-read the story—when do you think Thor and Loki switched places? I hope you enjoyed reading the story as much as I did writing. Hell, I was sure Loki would transform into Thor at some point during the movie. What did he do instead? Turned into Captain America. Seriously?_


End file.
